Teachers have been spending a lot of time on the streets throughout the years to protest the government’s lack of adequate compensation.
Fortunately for them, the Kenyan National Union of Teachers (KNUT) fought for a pay increase for teachers in a difficult but victorious battle.
Three stages of salary increases were agreed upon by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).
Timothy Nyakundi, a TSC secondary school teacher, provided his thoughts on TSC job groups. The job groups’ 2025 pay scale is shown below.
Teacher salaries and working conditions have been areas of concern, leading to periodic negotiations and adjustments by the government. These discussions ensure that teachers are fairly compensated and motivated to deliver quality education.
TSC job groups and their salary scale
The education system in Kenya is managed by the Teacher Service Commission (TSC), responsible for the recruitment, deployment, and management of teachers in public schools.
In an exclusive interview with educationboard.co.ke Timothy Nyakundi, a secondary school teacher employed by TSC, noted that TSC plays a role in determining the teacher’s salaries.
TSC, being the employer, has a role in determining the salaries of teachers. This is done through negotiating and signing Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) with teachers’ unions.
TSC is also responsible for promoting teachers, which affects their salary determination.
Here is a breakdown of the new TSC salaries and grading system for teachers.
TSC new grading system
According to Nyakundi, TSC determines the teachers’ salary grades by considering the length of service, teacher performance appraisals and teachers’ involvement in co-curricular activities.
He further explained that SRC determines the salary increments for teachers from time to time due to several factors. He said:
SRC is mandated to determine the teachers’ salary increments and adjustments from time to time. The following factors are used to determine teachers’ salaries: Qualifications, length of stay in service, job grade, added responsibility (like administrative duties), place of work (i.e., rural, urban, or hardship areas) and nature of learners (e.g., those with special needs receive additional allowances).
The current TSC upgrading of teachers led to scrapping some job groups and merging others. Below is a table for the new TSC grading system for all teachers in Kenya.
No Titles Grade T-scale
1 Chief Principal D5 T-Scale 15
2 Senior Principal D4 T-Scale 14
3 Principal and Deputy Principal I D3 T-Scale 13
4 Deputy Principal IISenior Master ISenior Lecturer I D2 T-Scale 12
5 Senior Master IIDeputy Principal IIISenior Head teacherSenior Lecturer IICurriculum Support Officer I D1 T-Scale 11
6 Senior Master IIISenior Lecturer IIIHead teacherDeputy Head teacher ICurriculum Support Officer II C5 T-Scale 10
7 Senior Lecturer IVSenior Master IVSNE Senior Teacher – PrimarySNE Teacher I – SecondaryDeputy Head teacher II C4 T-Scale 9
8 Secondary Teacher ILecturer ISNE Teacher I – PrimarySNE Teacher II – SecondarySenior Teacher I C3 T-Scale 8
9 Secondary Teacher IISNE Teacher II – PrimaryLecturer IISenior Teacher II C2 T-Scale 7
10 Secondary Teacher IIILecturer IIIPrimary Teacher I C1 T-Scale 6
11 Primary Teacher II B5 T-Scale 5
What is the salary structure of TSC in 2025?
The Teachers Service Commission enumerated the pay rise of different tutors according to their job groups for both primary and secondary school tutors. The salary scale for TSC teachers will be implemented in two phases which started on 1st July 2023.
The implementation of the second phase is scheduled for July 1, 2025, for teachers currently in active service. Below is a TSC salary scale table representing the current basic salary.
No Title Grade Salary
1 Chief principals Grade D5 (T-Scale 15) Ksh. 131,380 – Ksh. 159,534
2 Senior principals Grade D4 (T-Scale 14) Ksh. 118,242 – Ksh. 143,581
3 PrincipalsDeputy principal 1 Grade D3 (T-Scale 13) Ksh. 105,182 – Ksh. 127,069
4 Deputy principal IISenior master I Grade D2 (T-Scale 12) Ksh. 92,119 – Ksh. 110,551
5 Senior master IIDeputy principal IIISenior head teacher Grade D1 (T-Scale 11) Ksh. 78,625 – Ksh. 95,101
6 Senior master IIISenior lecturer IIIHead teacherDeputy head teacher I Grade C5 (T-Scale 10) Ksh. 62,272 – Ksh. 78,667
7 Senior lecturer IVSenior master IVSNE senior teacher (Primary)SNE teacher I (Secondary)Deputy head teacher II Grade C4 (T-Scale 9) Ksh. 52,308 – Ksh. 67,220
8 Secondary teacher ILecturer ISNE teacher I (Primary)SNE teacher II (Secondary)Senior teacher I Grade C3 (T-Scale 8) Ksh. 44,412 – Ksh. 56,514
9 Secondary teacher IISNE teacher II (Primary)Lecturer IISenior teacher II Grade C2 (T-Scale 7) Ksh. 36,621 – Ksh. 45,776
10 Secondary teacher IIILecturer IIIPrimary teacher I Grade C1 (T-Scale 6) Ksh. 28,491 – Ksh. 35,614
11 Primary teacher II Grade B5 (T-Scale 5) Ksh. 22,793 – Ksh. 28,491
What is the basic salary for a C1 teacher?
TSC C1 salary scale ranges from Ksh. 28,491 – Ksh. 35,614. It includes secondary teacher III, lecturer III and primary teacher I.
What is the basic salary for a C4 teacher?
The TSC C4 salary scale spans from Ksh. 52,308 to Ksh. 67,220, covering positions such as senior lecturer IV, senior master IV, SNE senior teacher (primary), SNE teacher I (secondary), and deputy head teacher II.
What is the salary of a secondary school teacher in Kenya?
The majority of secondary education teachers earn a salary between Ksh. 35,614 for a secondary teacher III to Ksh. 127,069 for a principal.
How much do C3 teachers get paid?
The TSC C3 salary scale varies from Ksh. 44,412 to Ksh. 56,514, encompassing positions like secondary teacher I, lecturer I, SNE teacher I (Primary), SNE teacher II (Secondary), and senior teacher I.
What are the types of allowances paid by the TSC?
Teachers receive remunerative or reimbursable allowances. Remunerative allowances are included in the teacher’s monthly salary and regularly disbursed. On the other hand, reimbursable allowances are granted upon application. The TSC specifically reimburses expenses related to travel and quota per diem.
How much do primary school teachers get paid in Kenya?
The base salary for primary school teachers in Kenya ranges from approximately Ksh. 78,667 for a higher-ranking position like the head teacher to Ksh. 28,491 for a lower-ranking role such as primary teacher II.
Who are the highest-paid teachers in Kenya?
The chief principals are the highest-paid educators in Kenya, with their basic salary ranging from Ksh. 131,380 to Ksh. 159,534.
With the implementation of the three CBA phases, the new TSC job groups and their salary scale have come to benefit them after a long period of low pay. Both primary and secondary school teachers will become the biggest gainers in the Kenyan economy.
According to the TSC secondary school teacher who spoke to educationboard.co.ke , the previous strikes by teachers have played a significant role in impacting the teachers’ salary scales. He said:
Teacher unions, strikes, and protests have played a role in impacting the salary scale for teachers by necessitating the employer to engage them in signing Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).